The Favorite Sister, by Jessica Knoll

PERSONAL REVIEW: I debated about including this discussion guide on my blog because I feel the book has little merit.   I think the book is written for young females in their 20s and early 30s, so I may have a distorted opinion.  (I am way over 30!!)  I have several complaints including an incomplete sentence on page 54 (“Introducing two people who are…”).  My biggest concern is the joking manner in which the doctor referred to HPV on page 146.  Given that the book may be read by impressionable young women, I thought this was irresponsible!

Characters
Goal Diggers of New York City	Others
Jen Greenberg – original member Pop-up juice stands Stephanie Simmons – original member Three fiction books and memoir African American Adopted Brett Courtney – original member Cycling studio and philanthropy SPOKE Lauren Bunn – brought in by Jen Dating apps – SADIE and SADIEq Hayley – former cast member Kelly Courtney – brought in by Brett Layla – Daughter, age 12	Yvette Greenberg – Jen’s mother Jesse Barnes – show manager Lisa – show runner Sheila Lott – Stephanie’s biological mother Vince – Stephanie’s husband Arch – Brett’s girlfriend, Indian

For Discussion

NOTE: The page numbers are from the hardback edition.

1. What did you think about Brett and Kelly’s constant physical fighting?   Why do you think they continued to do that as adults?
2. As you were reading, did you think Brett literally died or was removed from the show like Haley?
3. The book introduced the following issues.  Are there any others you identified?   Did the novel do a good job addressing these issues and presenting them in a thought-provoking way?

a.       Sexual identity

b.       Body image and definition of healthy (page 15)

c.       Motherhood identifying a female, superseding accomplishments (page 25)

d.       Decision to have children or not

e.       Race

f.        Racial profiling

g.       Sexual abuse

h.       Alcohol abuses (Lauren)

i.         Depression (Stephanie)

j.         Night Eating Syndrome (Brett, page 179)

4.       How do you think the references to the current time will affect the popularity of the book?

a.       Page 277 – Bill Cosby

b.       Page 291 – Gone Girl

c.       Page 201 – “Keeping Up with the Kardashians”

d.       Page 201 –  Lauren Conrad and Heidi

5.       On page 139, Kelly defines a strong woman as having “to do with taking responsibility for your actions, even when it feels like you didn’t have choice in the matter, because you always have a choice.”  According to this definition, who were the strong women in the novel?  Do you agree with this definition?

6.       On page 146, are the comments about HPV appropriate?  In the novel the doctor who was treating Stephanie make jokes “about how you weren’t cool unless you had HPV.   Women who have HPV are women who have lived.”    Given the intended audience for this book, how will this idea be understood?

7.       Discuss the various characters.  How well did you understand them?   Which ones were the most sympathetic?  The most realistic?

8.       Is there anything realistic in this book?  Does it matter if there is not?

*****
First Semester Success, 2nd Edition, by Arden B. Hamer, is now available in both hard copy and eBook on amazon.com and in hard copy from wordassociation.com and barnesandnoble.com.  Click on the upper right  link.